Keys of Kindness and Keenness
''"There's a subtle line between dream and reality, and it's funny how you didn't realize yet this was the case all this time, Da.." ''Prologue The screen is totally black. Slowly a conic light illuminates the place, revealing the presence of Chris. He’s sitting on a chair, his face is barely seen in the foreshadow, a hand carries the microphone, the other touches the heart: “Hi, this is Chris Mc Lean who introduces you to the last episode of Total Drama Enchanted Forest. Due to the events occurred in the last episode, I’d like to do a speech before, coming straight from the depth of my heart…” stops a minute, dramatically “What happened yesterday made me to reflect. For ages I tortured teen agers just for my own pleasure, recklessly and mercilessly, insensitively I forced them to risk their lives for material things like immunity and money, I never put in consideration the true values of life neither I cared for the risk they could have lost them cause of my reality show. Afterall the sufferences I made them into they didn’t abandon me, ME, the same horrible person that played with their feelings, the same awful being that sadically overexposed their sentiments to all the adversities, the same unattainable devil that everywhen and everywhere was there just to increase the sour, the hate, the cries.” Chris’s eyes shine “Sniff, I was utterly touched by the fact they helped me, still after all my crimes: for the first time in the life I realized that I was wrong, HOW I was wrong thinking that money and celebrity could replace everything…thanks, guys, I thank all the contestants that took part in a show of mine, thanks to have never given up and finally have managed to change me inside..yes..even you, Radio Man Beardo…or you, Psycho Scarlett…or even you…Ezekiel..wherever you are. Since now I solemnley promise that I’ll be different: I won’t be anymore the selfish, cruel, sadic, emotionless, gory, convoluted, egoistic, egocentric and ungrateful host you unfortunately knew in the past. I’ll be only selfish, cruel, sadic, emotionless, gory, convoluted, egoistic and egocentric! No more ungrateful, forever.” He sniffs and a tear comes down his face once ended the speech. “What a radical improvement.” the voice of Noah comments ironically out of the screen. ''Beginning'' Treehouse of Losers. Only two contestants are remained. Dave is packing up his things, doing the inventory accurately: “Ok, let’s check the list: shirts and clothes, okay, bandages, alchool, disinfectant and medical sticks, okay, books and rest of stuff, okay. Splendid, there’s all! I’m ready to leave this island, luckily as a winner.” Dawn is watching at the window seeming anxious, a strange feeling tormented her all the night until the morning, the weather outside is rainy, stormy, spooky. “Dawn, why aren’t you excited like me? We’re the finalists! I would have not bet a pence on us. Unlike my usual, trust me I’m surprised by myself, I feel positive, energetic, upbeat and 100% focused for the heat challenge!” Dave spins on the bed, then approaches to her “You seem distract, instead. What’s wrong? Is it for the nostalgy of Noah?” Dawn shakes head “No. I can’t describe this sensation but I sense something still wrong in the Enchanted Forest. Look outside, the nature is still agitated, the animals are absent or hide in unnatural spots –a skunk slept on your pillow the whole night for example- Dave makes a weird face of disgust, smelling himself- the weather is sinister…the chaos is still reigning here. I’m worried, really worried.” “Maybe you’re only suggestioned. I mean, we defeated finally that book…his boss..and..the rest of whatever was evil and controlled our lives.. yesterday, it’s all finished, the weather is bad just because it has to be, the animals maybe still too afraid to return to their normal habitat, and..I don’t know, to me is everything normal now.” The pessimist guy shrugs, descending the ladder of the treehouse. Dawn takes a last doubtful glance to the window before to go with him “There’s something that slips from my comprehension…I’m sure about…but…''what''? A thunder bursts out flashing on her face, she quickens her pace to reach Dave. Under the heavy rain Chris is waiting for them, the umbrella in a hand, a golden suitcase in the other. Holy vision, but more important next to him there are Sky, Max, Jo, and… “Noah!!!” Dawn runs towards her boyfriend in emotion “I missed you so much! *Blush* Ehm, sorry for the hug, I know you don’t like to be so expansive, but..I..couldn’t resist.” Noah smiles “Feel free to show your commotion, dear, thanks to your love, I’m a new Noah. So…” and Dawn’s eyes shines for the tears “*My negative vibes have just faded now that I’m again with you*” “Puah.” Jo and Max make an expression of disgust. “Enough with this cloy drama? I want to know why I’m here.” Jo says folding arms in annoyance. “Yeah, I’d like to know, too. By the way, a little warn: this spooky thunderous weather make me feel really really really EVIL. Mwahahahahah-aaaahh!KA-KKRAAK!” the evil laughter of Max is interrupted by a shock of lightning. Chris laughes at Max, then explains: “Alright, you and the gnome were chosen by lot, while Sky and Noah offered, to help the two finalists like in the All Stars final: Sky & Max will help Dave, Noah & Jo will help Dawn.” Jo rolls eyes refusing the friendly smile of Dawn, Sky shifts to Max and Dave does the legit question: “What’s the challenge?” The host points to the suitcase that he’s carrying in embrace “See this wonderful case? It was ermetically locked with a special lock that can be opened only by using a certain key. You have to find that key to win.” “That’s all?” “Yes.” “Sweet! Thanks for this gift, Chris, this challenge is less terrible than I expected, compared to the last four you organized.” “AHAHAHAH! I can’t believe you still fall in the net.” Dave frowns as to blame himself: it should have been obvious. Chris dries the tears and continues “The key can be anywhere in the Enchanted Forest: in a river, in the treehouse, in the unexplored peak of the mountain, underground, underwater, in a log, in the marsh. Along with many others! Yes, because my interns spread fake keys all around, but this isn’t the bad news.” “……..wooosh….rrrrumble…” the whole silence falls in the place, only the noises of the storm can be heard. “Infact, the same lock of the suitcase is hidden somewhere and the suitcase ..hop!” he launches the case inside a cage then activates with a remote control a gate of brick surrounded by vines, poison ivy and guardkeeped by Hydreigon. Everyone stares, Dave slaps the front. Chris sneers speaking miely “You need to rid off the obstacles of Hydreigon, the man eating poisonous plants, and the cage. Here there are three caskets that have the necessary equipment to defeat them, but their keys… are lost, too.” “Gulp.” “So, doing a recap: you have to find the right key, the missed lock, and I strongly recommend to find the keys of the three caskets, too, unless you prefer to do it yourself.” The host shrugs with a cheerish grin. // Confessional // Dave snaps in shock “The key…the lock of the key..the keys that locks the caskets to surpass the three different obstacles..can you be more convoluted than this? Are you key''dding me?!” Jo: “There’s no way I’m gonna help one of these losers to win a prize I DESERVED to win. Chris can '''key'ss my ass!” “'Whoever' finds the key and unlocks the key will be declared the winner of Total Drama Enchanted Forest!” “Whoever?” Jo smiles in the Confessional “Aaaand actually I accept the idea to stay here, a little of training never hurts.” ''Plot'' Max:”I have already an EVIL PLAN in my mind: steal the key when Dave finds it. Pure sinister genius!!!” Sky pokes him with an elbow “I heard you, we’re here to help Dave, there’s no time to waste in stupid games.” “I don’t play stupid games, I play..ehm..I organize evil schemes. But you can’t understand this, clearly. I still have to get why the Dark Book chose an inferior mind like you and not ME.” Sky grabs violently him by the sweater “Need to refresh your memory with a little demonstration?” and he gulps for the terror. “Oh, no, this challenge is impossible, I feel like the pessimist-me has come back” Dave sighs discouraged, having started to look in the bushes, Sky puts the evil oompa loompa down and approaches to him “What’s wrong? C’mon, it’s too early to surrender! Be keen, I’m sure you can achieve this task.” Ends giving a kiss on the lips. “! The Optimist Dave has right come back ! Let’s go search in a place less obvious.” Dave and company take the path for the swamp. “Do you need a kiss, too, to be reassured? I’m here to give you all the support.” Noah asks Dawn with sweetness, making her bashful “N-Noah! Since when you are this kind..ehm, there’s no need, but thanks…to have asked.” She giggles nervously, Noah smirks softly, Jo shouts loudly “Hurry up and stop with this lovebird affairs: forget you’re in a competition? Which place do you want to check first, I need to know. Sgrunt, that’s why I should be the finalist, not such a slow pacifist…” and waits muttering, wet for the rain. “R-Right, ahem. I need to focus a minute to get a premonition.” Dawn closed her eyes “''I love Noah..especially now…he’s kind, sweet, careful…alt! Dawn, abstract your mind, remember…..” “So?” “''I see Noah..uhm, why this happens? Maybe I didn’t focus enough, retry: I see a tree.” “How helpful. There are only thousand of trees in the crappy forest!” Dawn focuses more “''I see also…a..a..flag''? There’s a key attached on the stick..anf. Sorry, this is the must I could foresee.” Noah pats her back “It’s fine. Surely there are keys in the Enchanted Forest, it’s a wide space enough labyrinthic and enough full of hideouts where to place them.” The three enter the wood. '-Enchanted Forest-' “Found anything?” asks Dawn after a bit. “Only a stupid family of skunks, puah!” “I can smell it well, ehw..” Noah backs off a little from Jo, folding his nose. “Speaking of skunks, why don’t you ask the animal to help us with the research? They can reach places and spots we can’t check properly such as trees, logs..this will fasten the search.” “Neat suggestion!” Dawn shuts her eyes and her smooth voice echoes in the whole forest “Listen to me, creatures of the forest, I beg for your help-“ Noah suddenly screams for the pain “Auch, one of the skunk has just bitten my nose!” another skunk scratches on the legs of the Schemer and a third one tries to get the attention of Dawn, however Jo kicks it away “This is the HELP they’re gonna give us? Totally useless as all this KINDNESS you like so much. I’ll go search alone in that direction.” “I-I can’t explain this behavior of them…uhm…” “Stop all! I remembered a thing: there was a flag upon the treehouse in the middle of the wood, maybe you forsaw that. ” Noah says to Jo and Dawn to follow him at the Treehouse of Losers. Here the house wooden made is now a wreck with a giant hole in the roof: there’s a shining coming from the edge of it. The rain soaked the tree making it very slippery to climb on, but Dawn finds the solution, she kneeves some leaf of oak, ties a string of the shoes and creates a rope “Woah, this time you impressed me, Miss Fluttershy, where did you learn this skill?” admits Jo while climbing on, the reply of Dawn is firm: “Living in the nature means doing a choice of life that’s as beautiful as risky, I learned both to save the animal and to survive by myself. Just because I’m kind doesn’t mean I ain’t tough.” Jo rolls eyes in envy.. “Whatever, we arrived. Hop! I’m first. Oh-Oh.” Noah lands on the roof, blink blinking seeing Jasmine and Izzy waiting for them. Where did they come from? Dawn and Jo are shocked the same. “What does this mean?” Jasmine speaks first “Ohh, Chris didn’t tell you this part? You’re not alone to catch for the keys, we’re ALL doing this, kangaroos!” “Surprise!” Izzy spins on her axis “If you want the key, you’ll have to fight E-Scope, Explosivo, Brainzilla, Izzy and Jaz. Get ready.” Jasmine rolls eyes at Izzy “Yes, something like this.” “Perfect.” “Alright, let’s go, yaaah!” Jo attacks and starts a single kombat with Izzy. Dawn refuses to fight “Jasmine, we don’t have necessary to fight, I can share my victory with you…” Jasmine laughs loudly “Nice try, but this Outback Gal won’t fall again in this old trick, Shawn did that before you. If you don’t want to fight, prepare for the defeat!” Jasmine punches Noah off the tree with a single hit, then Dawn reacts enraged by the scene. “Would you want to fight?!!Ouch!” “Boom-Boom-Pow! Never lose the guard with me, ask to the Chef.” Jasmine takes soon advantage of her height picking on Dawn meanwhile Jo is confused by Izzy’s techinque, Noah is apparently KO. Dawn uses her speed to dodge some massive punches of the giantess, kicking her in the stomach, and approaches to the key, but Jasmine tackles her again. Izzy pushes Jo in the hole and the two continue to fight inside the house, with Izzy using the most quirky objects available as weapons. “Here comes the madness, muahahahah!” “Grrr…here comes a BED NEWS for you!” Jo lifts on a bed and flings it against Izzy, burying her under, scoffing. The rain increases heavily making the roof very slicky, Dawn is stil trying to make Jasmine’s mind but she’s only beaten up “Jasmine..don’t let the greed to lose a friend..” “SHUT UP! Who betrayed me last time? Who befriended with Dave and plotted against me? You female of dingo.” The Moonchild Girl backs of in scare, those word hit her interiorly because that is actually the true, she skids almost falling down, Jasmine grabs the red flag as a weapon. “Hit her now, Dawn!! Bah, screw up.” Jo watches in resignment. Finally Dawn closes her eyes, finding the dare to face her fear, again calm she hangs on the rope and jumps circling around Jasmine, avoiding her powerful blow “What the zell---“ and punches Jasmine in the face, removing a piece of cheek and she falls down crashing on the ground all her body parts “Oh, no, Jasm..ine? What I did!” Dawn shoves down the tree soon after, crying in panic. Jo claps in satisfaction. Noah grabs an arm and says “Wait, this is a robot.” “I should have seen this coming…” “Robots. CHRIS MC TROLL PRANKED US AGAIN.” Jo kicks angrily the head of Robo-Jasmine “So Izzy was a robot, too. This may explain why I had so much difficulty to defeat her.” “No, I’m the original Izzy, I found funny to mesh with all these robots (and fakers) around, aush..@..bzzz..zot! Lika a robot!” Izzy merges from the bed only to faint on it again. “Whatever, we have a key, now! Go check immediately or continue to search for more?” Noah walks next to Dawn “Why that sad look? That wasn’t the real Jasmine and you defeated them majestically, my dear dawn.” “''Even if it was a robot, he said the truth. I feel guilty for how I treated Jasmine, my soul isn’t totally pure, afterall.” Dawn kneels on the ground, trembling for the frustration. “Alright, stay here to continue the search, I’ll go see if this key is worth at something, bye!” “Jo, we’re going with you since we aren’t born yesterday.” “Snort. Your trust towards me is 0, unbelievable.” '-Swamp-''' “No map, no clues, no sort of useful information about the keys or the lock. And mud all around. ARGH!” Dave walks in horror and disappointment through the marsh “This challenge is impossible.” “No screw, no mechanic pieces, no gears, no sort of useful stuff for the cause of the EVUL. How an EVIL GENIUS is supposed to betray someone with nothing than mud available?!” Dave and Sky glares at him “Uh, I meant to say you can rely on my support at all! Muahahah, losers. Woah! SPLASH!” Max trips into a rock and swallows lot of marsh accidentally “Yes, what a genius.” “There’s something golden stuck in his mouth, altough.” Sky pulls out the object that reveals to be… Sky: “The lock! We found the second most important piece!” Dave: “Then I HAVE a possiblity to win. Thanks, Max!” Max: “Urgh, I hate to do good things. Oh, well, my genius striked back again.” Sky: “There’s no time to rest: there are still four keys to be found.” Dave: “Right. Let’s find them all!” // Confessional // “As much as I stay with Sky, I’m max pumped up for the win.” Dave exclaims in the confessional “Yeah! Got the girl and soon I’ll get the cash. Nothing can stop me at this point.” Soon after he notices some little black dots crawling over his body “L-Leeches?! Ahh! Disinfectant, soap, quick!” he rushly grabs the hygienical paper, rips it and doing an odd movement makes accidentally the lock to fall in the toilet. Facepalms. “Why, life, do you hate me so much?” The episode skips to 15 minutes later… “Why all this time to return from the Confessional, Dave?” “…DON’T ASK PLEASE.” “Ok, we found out some keys in the meanwhile but none of it can enter in the lock, maybe in the caskets. Want to go back?” Dave agrees, but before they go Max trips again into the same rock..that isn’t a rock, actually. “Sgrunt, who or what dares to obstacle the EVIL EMISSARY not one but two times? There’s something black in the swamp…the chapter 51 of the manual of the EVIl says that often the evil comes to the villain by itself, so..I’m curious to see if this is a true theory. A-Ah! I recognize this volume: Dark Magic Book. My second chance to become a MAIN VILLAIN is here, mwahahahah! Tremble, people, tremble.” “Sorry, these keys don’t open any of the chests, try again finding others. Ahahahah!” Dave bursts out in tears in reply and kneels attaching to the legs of Chris “Bwaaah, I can’t stand the idea to return in that filthy swamp again, have mercy, give me a shot! I beg you, Chris, I’m begging you!” “Fine, I hint you to search in a liquid spot, but now get off me, this is akwarding! Plus you’re rugging my favourite shirt. Urgh.” “Okay” Dave sniffles “Thank you for the advice, at least.” Sky walks behind Dave a bit stunned. // Confessional // Dave shows a roll of paper thriumphally swinging it in front of the camera “Gotcha: here’s the map of the key spots. I stole it from Chris with the excuse of the tear down moment. Being a crybaby is useful at times.” He said a liquid place, that could mean the swamp, the Enchanted Lake, the river or the waterfalls. Lot of possibilities, we are forced to splice in different directions.” “Don’t worry, Sky Oh Ma’ Sky, I can see 3 keys reported in this map. Eheheh! The red key is in the lake, the yellow one is at the waterfall and the purple one is in the river.” “Oh, so you theft the map from Chris? Clever move, Dave…you deserve another kiss. Smack.” “Really? Yeeesh!” Dave shouts reddening at all “I’m the greatest contestant ever! Let’s go at the lake first.” ''-Enchanted Forest-'' “Why are we still here? To lose time?!” Jo asks impatiently as the group gets into the recesses of the forest they’re exploring so cautiously “No, but I feel like that isn’t the right key, so I prefer to look for others before come back to Chris: this is the deepest part of the forest where I assume Chris forced his poor interns to go through…” “But you saw the flag and the key was on it, as much as I agree with your logic, I think your prediction was good.” “I don’t feel the same, Noah.” Sighs Dawn, while the rain reveals the key to be painted and not made of gold “I’m too quilled to do good predictions, maybe I was wrong or…don’t know, there’s something other that delays my attention in this moment. However, the nests and the holes of the animals here could be used to hide something, check them out but with kindness. Okay?” “Yes, yes, we’ll be careful, kind, and blah blah blah.” Jo climbs on a tree after another looking in each nest finding only eggs, Noah and Dawn seek in the holes and hideouts and Noah gets attacked by every single animal. “Ehm, this strategy doesn’t work clearly. Dawn, why don’t you try doing another prediction?” Dawn gives a suspicious look at the animals, then eventually listens to the suggestion of her mate. “''The animals are trying to say something, probably…''” “Dawn.” “''I see…I see…a tower..the flag is on it…I hear also a cry..it’s your voice, Noah''..How’s possible?!! Oh, no. Ciaff!” Jo slaps her “Wake up!” Dawn breathes heavily “Thanks, I felt a terrible sensation this time… where’s Noah?” Jo points out at the boy arching a brow “Here. Can’t you see? Bah, tell us what did you predict new.” “I forsaw an ancient tower full of cracks.” “Then the vision is clear: the true golden key it’s at the castle.” “Yes, I hope..” ''-Encrusted Castle-'' Few minutes later they arrive at the place that is still as they had left him in Dragon Bold: more wrecked, scorchered and…sinister. The left tower is totally destroyed, the right one is darkened by the cimmer of the Shadow Ball casted by Hydreigon, and the thunderstorm increases the spooky look. “This place is even worst than I remembered.” Dawn creates a new rope using the vines attached to the wall and climbs together Jo and Noah. “At least there isn’t a ferocious Hydreigon to threaten us this time, it’s already busy somewhere else” says Noah with a smirk “RAWR!” that fades as three Zweilous appear. Jo punches his arm.“Shut up next time, Stringbean!” The three dark dragons cast out a Shadow Ball at the same time, aiming at them, the hit burns the rope but Dawn and Jo are able to jump in the window, only Noah isn’t. “Ahhhh, help!” he hangs above the gluttonous fangs of the sons of Hydreigon. “I don’t know how much I’ll resist in this position.” “Oh, no, Noah! I’m coming.” Dawn is held by Jo “Calm down, it’s not your business to save him. He’s a deadlock and we don’t need a big brain to look for a key in these four wrecked walls. Do for ONCE what’s worth for yourself and not for others.” “That’s the point: I’m not like you. To me the others come before my own, animals or people.” Dawn frees from Jo’s clench and jumps in the void, landing on one of the Zweilous. Starting to scratch and fight. “Shame on her and better for me, if I find the key I’ll be rich in her place.” Comments Jo. Dawn and Noah are then clenched in the claws of the trio, ready to shredder them “Urgh, looks like this is the end” Dawn feels the fear crawling over her, she needs to find back the harmony, distress her mind and do what she’s made for and not what the fear make her do: communicate with the creatures. “Dawn, still here?” She focuses in silent on the aura of the dragons and understands: as the heads of the Zweilous are about to maul their meat, she gives a cuddle to them, saying in a reassuring voice “Calm down, your mother is still alive, you have to be strong but don’t react with the violence! I promise to bring her back from her prison if you leave us.” Shocked, the Zweilous stop and leave their grip on the two. “Dawn, you’re extraordinary, you know?” says Noah astonished. Dawn blushes and shrugs, and the three twin dragons escort them to the top of the tower. Here Jo is still checking and revolting impatiently the whole furniture in the desperate search of the key.. “Trash, trash, trash, Ella-bot , trash, trash..auff! Where’s that damn key?” she launches even an ancient closet out of the window, this cracks in pieces once touches the ground and the gold key comes out the splinters. “Tinkle. Uh? Nooo!” Jo rushes on the board of the window, skids and remains hanged on it. “It’s that the right key? I guess it is, yuhuu! Dawn, you’re the certain winner, now.” Noah exclaims “All we have to do is comeback to Chris now.” “There’s something else before…” Dawn smiles and gives an order to one of the Zweilous: to go help Jo from falling. After she’s safe, the Take-no-prisoners asks “Thanks, but, why?” Dawn doesn’t answer “Why you did this? I acted badly the whole time, in your place I would have left me stuck in that situation like an idiot! I can’t understand your decision.” “Neither I” adds Noah “This is the kindness, the instinct to help everyone careless for WHO is or WHAT does.” Jo frowns rummaging on these words. "Wow, your prediction was actually true, I just lived a terrible experience, thankfully you saved me, love." Meanwhile, Dave… “This lake is very deep and..brrr..cold. There’s the risk to catch a flu, also the water doesn’t seem so clean.” “Courage, Dave, think at the million and dive. I’ll be always with you.” “Thanks, Sky, I can’t still believe this is happening for real. I’m with you and you’re cheering for my victory this time, sniff, I’m moved to see that the life finally likes me, my biggest dream is realizing.” The two dive into the icy water together. Only Max stays aside, studying carefully the book. “Hmm…I can cast a lake monster to devour them with this spell..but then I won’t be able to find again the lock..then I could steal the map of the keys but there isn’t reported the location of the most important…mumble, mumble…becoming a MAIN VILLAIN is more difficult than I thought..” “Found!” Dave merges a few after with the red key in the hand “We can go to the next lap. 1 more point for Dave the Great, yeah! Anyway, strange that Chris didn’t settle any trap..” Chris appears magically for a second “Ops, my dimenticance. Click! Vrrr. Vrrr. Vrrr.” and activates a button that makes a squad of Scuba Polar Bears to surround them. Dave asks himself why he didn’t the hell shut up. Chris announces a commercial break in coming, doing his usual teasing recap of the first part of the episode: “So, Dawn has the key of the victory yet Dave has the lock where to put it, and the map, and a more useful companion than Dawn’s, but will he survive to the attack of the merciless robots? Discover it in the second part of Total Drama Enchanted Forest: the Heat Final!” The screen fades to black. “Oh, no. Who’s gonna be famous as a chew toy for bears? ME.” “There’s no way to escape than swim underwater. Quick! Held your breath.” “Sky? Glub!” She drags him to the deep where the bears can’t arrive being mechanical without tilt down. However Dave doesn’t resist much “Aaaanf, I need to breath. I’m not an olympian as you!” “Then, run.” “Ahh!To where?! They can follow us also by the land.” The remaining robot bears pursue on them immediately, Max enjoys the show from the opposite side of the lake, Dave notices something that floats near the shore: it’s the ark of the Enchanted Butterflies! He and Sky ride on the abandoned boat and row backward across the river away from the danger. Max watches in dismay “Booooh! You should have eaten up those inferiors, you undeserve to be entitled of the name EVIL, stupid bears made of gears. I was going to recruit you under my dominion with an EVIL-ezer, but, pity, this made me change idea U.U” as the scuba polar bears hear the insult, they change direction getting towards Max. “Oh-Oh…! Bad bears, don’t dare to attack the future evil lord of the world, bad bears, don’t. Ahhh!!!” “Phew, we’re safe for a hair.” Dave checks the map “In addition we’re going to the waterfall, judging by the chart, where the yellow key is hidden. Uhm, have a doubt: if we started from the lake, shouldn’t the waterfall be from down to up and not reverse?” Sky points to a giant wall of water pouring in front of them “This answers to your question? I think we’ll be forced to climb up to find the yellow one. Hop. Hopefully there’s the rope of Jasmine here.” “To climb a cascade? Are you serious?” “Do you want to win? Then you have to do some sacrifices.” “I know and knew that already, but my health is something I don’t want to sacrifice.” “Oh, so you want to be called a loser for the rest of your life. Pity. This is maybe the only occasion of your life to change..” Dave looks into the eyes of Sky then shifts to the waterfall then to the rope, grabs it firmly, wraps it around the waste, and goes. // Confessional // “Sky is right. I’m sick to be considered weak, pathetic, a complete loser with the caption locked L permanently. It’s about time to show the world the great and powerful Dave!” Dave’s hand slips on the wet surface of the rock and he almost falls “Woah! How did I let her to convince me doing this craziness?!” “Keep on climbing, Dave, you’re doing well! Don’t give up and everything will go fine, remember that the key word of a winner is keenness.” “It’s easy to speak when you’re a born Olympian, no offense.” “Dave, you’re wrong. I swear I was like you before to become an Olympian.” Dave twitches unable to reply more, but he feels an huge energy increasing inside the chest, with the help of the legs he manages to stand up and returns to climb sternly. After a bit a fracture in the rocks lures his attention, there’s a yellow key in it: “Got it!” “Congratulations, I’m proud of you.” Cheers Sky. “Ok, let’s return to Chris for now. I want to open some of the bonus chests, maybe there are surprises inside that can twist things.” “Good idea. But how are we going to come back from here without lose too time? We implied half an hour to reach this point.” “Atchoom!” the Pessimist sneezes and does a subtle smirk “Taking the easiest way: jump.” “Fine. Geronimooooo! Splash!” “Bollywooood! Splash! Here we go. It wasn’t even that scary.” ……more minutes later…… “Finally the exit!” Dawn, Jo and Noah comes out the forest after an hour since the last time the camera focused on them “It was necessary to waste all this time to find berries for the Zweilous? And actually it’s necessary to bring them with us whether we should think at something more important? Nope.” “This is important. Those little beings didn’t eat by 24 hours and I promised to reunite them with their mother. It’s worthy to do this, trust me, this will bring benefits also for us at the end. You have still to learn which is the power of kindness.” Dawn says while encouraging the dragons to reach the mother. Pity they can’t be happy if she’s still chained. The girl frowns but eventually something else lures her thoughts: the skunks, again. “Bah. All I know is that if I were in your place I would have already found the lock, opened the suitcase and win in the half of the time you implied to walk back here. Your business if Dave will win.” “He can’t, use logic: the main key is in our hands. They can have the lock but without the key they can’t do anything, same for us..” points out Noah. Jo rolls eyes simply saying “This logic is for nerds.” Dave arrives soon after with a wide smile upon the face (and a bit of bold, too) juggling with the keys “Oh hey, Dawn, Chris, and the rest of the company. See what I got here: two keys. Isn’t that nice?” “Oh, congratulations, Dave…''wait a minute, my little skunks''….it’s really nice to see your dream to have an happy time and satisfaction from life being finally realized.” “I know really, ahahah! So far I’m going to win for sure, I also have the lock, and with the bonus keys I have a sweet advantage. Sorry for you, I mean, that now is quite certain who’s the winner and who’s the loser, and the latter isn’t me. I mean not to be offensive, but…” Dave sweats trying to find the right words to not wound too much the sentiments of his best friend, because he doesn’t want to, meanwhile Jo and Noah glare at him and Dawn is making a not so happy expression, too. “You’re the superior finalist. That’s it.” Sky ends his phrase hitting on everyone. “What? This is low. Dawn, dear, don’t listen to this eel.” Jo’s reaction is worst than Noah’s “So who do you think YOU’RE? With those scrawny legs and the same height of a dwarf you think to have the qualities of a winner?” continuing “HAHAHAHA, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH TOO HARD: THE TRUTH IS THAT YOU FLOATED IN THIS FINAL ONLY THANKS TO HER MERCY.” “''Sky, what did you say? That wasn’t what I wanted to say. Urgh..now I’m in trouble..what I do?” “''Told you there were many sacrifices to do to become the winner, no? That’s one. Mark the difference between the winner (you) and the loser (her), this is the winning attitude, and if she doesn’t accept this, then she’s not a true friend.” “''Eh? But this is not the way I want to..” Dave’s hears perk up as Jo ends her quote “What? Are you saying I’m here by a rig? That my placement is totally undeserved?” Jo retails back, spitting “As much as I HATE to say this, Jasmine deserved this shot fifty-one millions times more than you!” Noah agrees “True. It was her decision to keep you in the game, and let’s tell the true whole storyline: since Dawn became your friends you had an easy life, before you were just the second pain magnet after Tyler with even less attitude.” Dawn is about to speak when Dave cuts the discussion definitely “Ok, you know what? '''I don’t need HER as a friend to be lucky and successful', I’m this BY MYSELF as I was able to survive to so many obstacles, even a waterfall, a wa-ter-fall! The fact is that you’re just envious of me, now. Well, keep being that meanwhile I do two steps more to the victory right in front your green faces.” Dawn goes away back in the woods. “Well done.” Sky pats Dave on the back “That’s the attitude I always wanted to see in you since we met in Pahkitew Island.” “Really? Then enjoy the show, baby, there’s a Dream Dave on air, now.” Dave does an antic (or at least tries to seem cool) and opens the first casket with boast, inserting the red key. “Let’s see what treasure there’s in..a-ah..a weed killer gunslinger! With this the plants are no more an obstacle. Eheheh. Now the yellow one. Gniieeek..” his smile fades seeing a key once he opened the yellow casket “What’s this? Kidding me?” Chris reassures with an innocent smile “No, absolutely. That’s the key that opens the obstacle cage.” Dave blink blinks with a weird face “Eh?Ek…ehp..yes, you kidding me.” “Great. All we have to do now is find the gold key!” “The purple key has the priority: I don’t want to be Hydreigon’s next meal. Wait a minute, we should have already found it. The map says it’s in the river. What went wrong?” “Are you sure this is a river, Dave?” “Sure. I checked it cautiously: it’s curly, what else could be?” “The line doesn’t start from any mountain and there’s a little symbol here at the beginning...” “True? See. Gulp, but it’s the icon of the Confessional! Oh, no, no, no…no. No. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” // Confessional // Dave squeals in total panic “IT’S IN THE SEWER CONDUCT!!!I HATE YOU, CHRIS!” stops in front of the flush shivering “Brrr..n-no way…I prefer Hydreigon” but Sky opens the cover and starts to enter “Easy, Dave, and be realistic: you don’t have any chance than the key to surpass that guardian.” He shrugs “Then I’m not going to win, hey, nevermind, arriving second was already a big satisfaction, I mean, let’s give Dawn the lock and cut the matter at the root. Eh?.....” and sighs “Oh, o-okay, I’m coming next. Hhhrrgh.” Holding his nose, Dave steps into the flush, too. “This isn’t the first time we do this. Follow your dream, Dave, the goal is close!” “This is more like a nightmare now. Aaaaaaah! FLUSH@” -Enchanted Forest- “Where did she go? She disappeared all of sudden after that jerk said what he said.” “Does she have the gold key, right? Then we’re forced to find her, sgrunt! I bet she returned in the forest for some other cloy and useless reason of *kindness* such as hosting some foster animals inside her empty skull.” “Rude. But whatever, let’s look in the woods. Dawn? Daaawn? Lovey?” Noah keeps calling her name for a long “Auff, she could be everywhere, and the fact she doesn’t leave tracks behind when she walks doesn’t help. Uhm..but the animals she probably followed do! Here are little paw signs on the wet ground..going to the direction of the…!” “Of the what? Continue speak, Knoah-it-all. What happens?” “Uh, eh, nothing. Just follow the direction.” Dawn has being guided by the skunk for a bit, do not knowing where she’s going exactly “Not that I don’t want to help you, but I wish to know where are you making me finish…?” all she sees around is unfamiliar despite being the forest she lived in usually during the whole season, the plants and the trees are different, the weather is different, the habitat is different, they must following a secret path. The animal finally stops in front of an enormous ancient oak, entering through a wide hole in the bole, inviting the girl to do the same, Dawn obeys and as she crosses an odd feeling comes to her body and mind, like the time and the space change and twist. After the whirlpool, Dawn discovers to have been warped to a different age, when the Enchanted Forest was really enchanted and not corrupted by the darkness, infact, the original environment of the forest went here to escape from the shadows. Dawn is astonished by this marvelous look, but can’t forget the reasons she’s here, if there’s any. “This paradise of the past goes beyond my imagination, but why you brought me here? I wish to know, I need to know, I sense it as a duty and desire.” Dawn’s question doesn’t even need an answer that her glance shifts to the body lying in the middle of the grass, approaching, she recognizes in it the figure of “Noah!?” and backs of shocked. She’s confused. What is Noah doing there? Most of all…how did he arrive there before her? She then remembers the prediction, that recurring scream of Noah…invoking her help….it came from that place? He looks wounded effectively… more wrinkles than usual on his face…consumed? Maybe. She can’t explain her sensation, this time.. …but Dawn bows down next to Noah, quite instinctively more than with a certain reason, and closes her eyes… “STOP! Don’t do that, Dawn!” Noah shouts with Jo after, just arrived to see the girl about to kiss the lifeless body. Meanwhile Jo is too confused to speak and gazes around, Noah runs to Dawn holding her “Phew, I blocked you in time.” Dawn opens the eyes again “Do you know what’s happening?” “Of course, sweetness!” Noah replies with a nervous smile “This is rather obviously another trick made up by the host to fool our minds. That Noah is certainly a robot or something similarly fake to resemble me. But now, don’t worry, the trick has been revealed before you could be damaged, anyway it’s better to go away from here…” Dawn doesn’t move. “What’s up?” “It’s just that you didn’t answer to my question.” “I did. Maybe you didn’t understand because I used difficult words, my fault. Whatever, that Noah is a fake like the Jasmine of before.” Dawn stares at the body, hearing he’s snoozing, for an unknown reason her heart refuses to let it there. Noah grabs her by an arm “Quick! That clone or whatever is it can always wake up and attack. Do you want your dream to end for this reason? I don’t think. I’m the original Noah, kind, lovable, open-hearted as shaped thanks to you.” “Yes, a dream that came reality.” Dawn whispers to herself, staying firm on her position, lowering the head “You have that kindness I always wanted to see inside you, you have that contact with your feelings I always wished to perceive inside you, and you’re too perfect to believe Noah is you. Noah isn’t this yet, he can’t change so soon in this way neither I ever wanted it to do, I’m just living a dream in this moment and that dream is YOU” she points a finger straight against him. “What? Ahahah! Perfect, the tension made you lose it. Well, I’ll wait patiently that you return normal.” “Don’t use sarcasm to cover your identity!” Dawn continues with a higher intonation “You’re the result of a Dreamshaper spell, I can finally sense it. I never pretended to change Noah in anything, that’s not what a friend neither a lover does, he had to discover his hidden vibes by himself. Your worst mistake was just to think that the Noah you shaped was the one I love.” Then kisses the sleepy body on the lips, and he wakes finally up. “Nooo, I don’t understand how you can renounce to me that I’m your dream for him that’s far from being your complementary , doooooon’t!” the Dream Noah fades in the void, screaming. Noah: “D-Dawn..zzz…it’s you?” Dawn: “Yes, as you are the only Noah I love.” Noah: “Perfect. Don’t mind if I continue to sleep? I feel so weak…ronf.” Dawn nods smiling softly. Jo: “Alright. I don’t have ANY IDEA of what the heck has happened and going still on, but I don’t care. Let’s return to the present and win or lose but stop with all these mysteries, skunks and other creepy/cloying stuffs, ‘kay?” …contemporary few miles underground… Dave and Sky are proceeding in the sewers carefully, walking through the dark slimy galleries and alternatively swimming in the filthy canal. “Urgh, this place is so..is so…I don’t have the words to describe how I feel now. Where’s that purple key? C’mon! Eeww, Sky, is that necessary to check right into the goo? Brr. Wopah! SPLATCH!” the indian slips on a pad “Argh, I-I’m covered in…I-I landed on…I-I-I…n-nevermind, ahah, I’m strong, no? I’m superior, yesh, who cares about g-g-g-g (gh) germs anymore? Right?” despite the speech Dave feels sick immediately “BLEAH, whose the responsibility of all this muck, filth, rubbish, sh-UGAR?!?” “Dave, calm down a minute and take a long breath. It’s everything okay, you’re overreacting at the idea, THINK AT THE VICTORY and your dream will be realized at all.” “If you say so…by the way, I was referring to that” Sky looks in the same direction of Dave and sees that in front of their way there’s Sugar” “Buuurp! Mmh, this goo is a true delicacy, want to taste?” she oinks loudly, cackling out a sack of rubbish. “Glubb.” “No, thanks, Sugar, that’s not our favorite flavor…” “OHOHOH, I was referring to my friends!” suddenly a turmoil of filthy mutant creatures merges from the dirty waters and the grates: they’re purple with long twirly moustaches and blonde curls, their body is fat and liquid, dressed into Sugar’s dresses and boiling, burping, gargling muck the same as her. Shugarlots. As they capture his girlfriend Dave’s face turns blank “This is a nightmare, someone give me a snap, I want to wake up.” They’re surrounded with no escape way available, contemporary a shining object becomes visible pending at the neck of Sugar: the purple key. The slurry creatures approach more and more, enough that he can smell their stink and go insane. “Yes, YEX, this is a nightmare, ahahahah! Nothing that’s going on is real, then I have nothing to do than wait the end of it. A-Alright. Du-de dum@@@” Dave is utterly overwhelmed by the madness and Sky can’t protect him this time, what to do? One of the Shugarlots starts to lick him, another spits some food molten with the stomach, the adrenaline increases inside Dave to the point that “Reeks! Slime everywhere o-over my body,from the hair to the hear…g-g-germs, Germs, GERMS I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, YAAAARGH!” he definitely loses the control. Dave attacks like a lunatic fringe each of the enemies winding kicks, punches, hits, and bites with no reck, splattering them all (also the original Shugar) over the sewer. After this epic sequence, he’s seen covered in whatever gross you may think at carrying the last of the three keys in one hand, the saved Sky in the other. “Yeah, you did it! You overcame your germaphobia once at all.” “What? Uh. I-I..for real?” “Kiss me if you still think this is a dream.” // Confessional // Dave cheers loudly to the camera almost crying for the joy, and then says that after this nothing will be able to stop him, not even his supposed <> with Dawn. However he’ll stop a minute for a shower or more for sure before. ''Showdown'' At the sunset Dawn and Dave arrive at contemporary in front of the Enchanted Prison, where the gold suitcase is protected by the barbed wires and eating man plants, Hydreigon and the cage. Chris snickers maniacally while waiting for the final showdown to begin, the opposite factions glare at each other. Dawn speaks first “Dave, I have an important thing to say you before we start…” “Oh, wait up, I think I know what you want to say: you recognized my superiority in this final and you’re now going to surrender!” Dave opens the purple casket finding an Escape Rope and a Master Ball “ 3 on 3. Well, at this point you can just wait still a little watching my imminent victory. See you soon with MY suitcase.” “I didn’t refer to that…grrr.” The patience of the Moonchild Girl ends here. She forgets her purpose to warn Dave about the truth behind all, her kindness and generosity get replaced by the frustration, and the competitiveness posses her will. “Oh, I see THE FIRE in those pupils finally a reaction from you, Luna Lovegood” smirks Jo inflating the rage inside her. “Why none listens to my advices never? I’m tired to be comprehensive with whom doesn’t deserve it, at least Dave will pay his ingratitude.” Said this, Dawn runs after the opponent, who has already started to climb the wall of the prison, using the items found in the colorful chests, easy as to eat a piece of cake when you have all you need, infact, Dave finds the occasion to mock her in tranquility “I’m already in advantage, why don’t you recur to your mystical meditations to recuperate? Oh, also you maybe want one of these herbicide sprays or you’re able to speak with the carnivorous plants, too? Curious to know.” “Urgh, that little scrabble has a point. This voracious salad is a threat that’s slowering us…agf!” Jo punches back a plant but the vines wrap her and block her movements. “Use your power to tell them to leave me!” “I can’t.” Dawn is bitten by a plant managing to escape from the clench for a hair, literally as the snap rips away part of her fleece “However I know another solution, that’s the return of the kindness, the key of its power…” the animals of the Enchanted Forest environment climbs suddenly the wall: the rodents chew on the leaves and the tangles, the skunks annihilates the weeds with their noxious gas, the rest of them give a contribute until the girl and her helpers aren’t beyond the first obstacle. “…you’re sure you will be given always back the favor.” “Holy Tandoori Chicken! How were you able to do this?” Dawn orders to a skunk to fart on him and proceeds to the next part, followed by Jo that tackles him down laughing and Noah. “Cough, cough, ptuah! Low blow.” Sky helps Dave to stand up “Quick! You have to recuperate now.” “Don’t worry, I have an huge advantage about Hydreigon, she won’t surpass her so easily.” “R you sure?” The female Hydreigon happy to be free and most of all reunited finally with her family lets Dawn the passage for the zone where the suitcase is caged. “Still without the key of the cage they can’t do much, and…where is it?!” “As I said, kindness wins over everything” Dawn shows the yellow key from the distance, an halcyon with a wing bandaged brought it to her. By the way before she and the others can go free the suitcase from its metallic jail, Chris does an announcement “Ooopsie! Another little dimenticance I just remembered, otherwise this will be way too simple (and boring)…click. Enjoy the last magic surprise!” A row of mirror walls and doors merges from the ground and surrounds the cage with the suitcase inside creating a maze. Noah stares in shock at the sight “Seriously? I mean, SERIOUSLY?!” “Master Ball, go! <> CAPTURED.” Contemporary Dave shortens the outdistance by catching Hydreigon all of sudden, Dawn stops assisting at this scene: her promise is broken. The Zweilous are again separated from their mother, and this time forever. The remorse brings her back to her true persona, the determination fades away… “Dawn, there’s nothing you can do anymore, let’s go over.” Noah tries to shake her up, but she stays out of the labyrinth, refusing to enter, refusing to accept this fact. On the other hand, Dave proves no regrets and evokes his new own pokèmon to attack them “Since now this dragon is mine, as you asked the help of the animals, I’ll ask ITS HELP to rid off you nuisances, unless you give me back my key. Bow down to my superiority: attack with Shadow Ball, Hydreigon!” “What if I give you the gold key in exchange of Hydreigon’s freedom?” Dawn asks stepping right in front of the danger, with courage and sadness. “Really? You would do this? So you had it all this time. Fine, deal accepted.” “No, Dawn! This is a craziness.” Noah attempts to hold her, but her aura pulses him back. Jo steals her the key running away “I won’t afford you such a thing. Come and catch me, Gumball 2.0, if you’re able!” “Don’t challenge me! Hydreigon, Sky, LET’S GET AT THE PURSUIT.” Remained alone, Dawn and Noah can finally enter in the maze, despite the regrets of Dawn. // Confessional // Jo refuges in the cabin and locks the door, explaining “I just understood the importance to give back an act of kindness, do you have problems? I’m not less tough if I do a favour sometimes..ok..rarely..just in occasion like this. Same goes for Dawn: there’s an iron maid behind that fairy look, and her force is in the kindness.” She eventually makes a grimace “Did I really say this? CRASH!” The Confessional is destroyed by Hydreigon. “Gimme that key and I’ll spare you!” “Oh, you mean this key? All yours. GOTCHA DUDE.” Jo raises from the pocket the fake key found at the Tree House. Dave kneels down the ground screaming like he did in the final episode of Pahkitew. Then Sky slaps him “It’s not yet late to reach them in the maze.” “Ops, right, I had a little panic attack, but now has passed! Darn, my overreacting side..ahem, let’s go?” he blushes, thanking her “Wow, I don’t really know what I would do without your presence.” …follow a sequence that narrates the vicissitudes of them all inside the labyrinth… “I hope the doors are finished: after goblins, elves, more robotic clones, and even the escape from a sort of pac-man I’m getting very tired..oh, there’s a light.” Noah and Dawn are finally exited from the maze, and the suitcase is very near now. Dawn inserts the key in the cage, unlocking it. Hearing their cheers, Dave gets frustrated “Argh, they found the exit whether I’m stuck in this trap. I don’t want to be a loser anymore in my life this is the beginning of my new life that can’t be ruined by an hippie girl! There’s only one thing to do: cheat.” The pessimist one ties around his waste the Escape Rope being warped to the exit right in front of Dawn. “Say hello back to Mr. Dave! You’re not going to open that million dollar case without confront with me.” “Of course no, we miss the golden lock” Noah shrugs sarcastically. “Oh, you mean the lock I keep in my pocket?” asks Dave with a mocking intonation. “Try to get it before I get your key, then.” Noah jumps against him starting a brawl: the two skinny sarcastic lads have a sort of catfight that ends soon when Dave pushes Noah over the limit of the labyrinth trapping him inside. “One done, now be kind and let me the victory, Da-awch!” Dawn hits him with a kick that smashes his cheek! The weather gets totally stormy. “I was too much kind so long. It’s over, Dave. Your ingratitude erased my will to be compassionate, if you want to win this season, you have to fight with me!” “Okay, challenge accepted…” Dave grabs the golden suitcase countering it with Dawn “This Is Mine!!! Just give me the key and resign!” “Never!” The two struggle under the heavy drizzle hitting back to back each other, until Dave uses the same suitcase to knock down the girl, she falls on the wet land right in time for Sky to reach Dave and congratulate with him “Almost reached the goal! All you have to do is take the gold key from her and you’ll finally be a WINNER.” “No.” “What?” “I feel more loser than usual in this moment, if I have to be honest. I mean, I just stomped on the most reliable friendship I ever had in my existence for the lust to win a suitcase full of money. Is this the true sensation of a winner? I..ehm..think nope.” “Think properly, Dave, this situation is what you always wished for, to be in my place, to be a winner in the life. ARE YOU GOING TO WASTE YOUR CHANCE TO CHANGE FOREVER?” Dave frowns, going to help Dawn to stand up. “I’m sorry, I..acc..don ‘t know what happened to me. I acted horribly, feel so ashamed now.” “It’s fine, I’m glad you made your mind before to be corrupted by the power…” “Still best friends?” “Sure.” “So…I have the lock and you the key, what about open it together now?” “I agree, this would be marvelous.” “Let’s hug before to celebrate our newfound relationship (no, Noah, don’t be jealous, I have Sky as my gal)” Dave and Dawn embrace strictly, creating a quite moving picture. BUT SOON AFTER.. “A-Ah! Got the key, finally.” Dave exclaims pushing Dawn aside, the greed shining in his eyes “I’m sorry for the lies, Dawn, but you should understand, I never had such a bright occasion to become someone in my life, I was always so unlucky, and the first time I joined to this format I reached the edge of the bad fate, but NOW it’s all subverted like in my best dreams: the same girl that I loved and betrayed and exploited and abandoned me for the money is now here to make amends and partake for my victory, the victory itself is in my hands, I couldn’t ask for anything else than this to be happy! Ahahahah!” Tears drop down Dawn’s face. “Or maybe no…urgh.” Sky claps at him “Bravo, Dave! You acted exactly as I wanted.” Dave scratches the back of the head nervously meanwhile his soul is struggling hard with the consciousness “I know really, my dream is realized. Well…aaaaanf…take a breath..done. I’m ready for the opening!” and checks in his pockets, turning back to her “Where’s the gold lock?!? Oh, you have it, I didn’t notice. Good work, baby, now you can give me it. Ahem, Sky, do you hear me…?” “Dave, I tried to warn you…” Dawn whispers with the remaining breath. “What’s happening? Ouch!” Sky kicks him in the groin, and picks the golden key. “Ooourg..why..I don’t understand this action…” A wide snide smile appears upon the lips of the Olympian before she begins: “''There’s a subtle line between dream and reality, and it’s funny how you didn’t realize yet this was the case all the time, Dave…the last proof of the ignorance of mankind''.” her clothes become black as the darkness “You humans do all the same errors, you’re oblivious pathetic creatures that let their emotions and desires to control their consciousness, and at the first occasion you have no shame to do all the possible to realize your wishes, satisfy your lust of success, power, fame, and for you the cost of it isn’t ever too much expensive, even if this implies to stomp on your codes, feelings and dears. For ages I fed myself with the wishes of my owners, until I became too powerful to let their the control anymore, that’s what I do: take dreams, offer the necessary power to make them truth, and consume the mind and the soul of whoever uses me, and the more does, the more I grow.” Dave twitches in shock “How you returned to be Dark Sky? I thought the Dark Magic Book had been destroyed! Same for his original creator or whatever happened last time..! I’m..I mean..confused..this is unbelievable, maybe I’m having a nightmare. Yes, yes, this must be! I somewhat fainted in the maze and now I have only to wake up (someone, quick, snap my arm) to win, win, win! No?!” “AHAHAHAH! Oh, Dave, Dave, Dave. This girl you have in front is the same who betrayed you long time ago, causing your insanity, but you’re more oblivious than I imagined.” Suddenly Max breaks into the scene “Ahh, POLAR BEARS ARE BITING MY *CENSORED*!!!” and faceplants, making the book to land in the hands of her. “Ohhh!” “See? You recognize my black cover, I’m STILL HERE.” “Hey, I found that book first, how dare you subtract the EVIL from the EVIL?” Max stands up immediately pointing a finger, Sky glares at him “Shut up. It’s MINE, now.” “This is unfair, I had still to finish to read it all! Plus a loser like you shouldn’t play with the EVIL in this way, this is a game reserved only to a true villain.” Sky chokes him assuming the aspect of a demon “THAT’S I AM. AS I TOLD YOU ONCE, YOU CAN’T HANDLE THIS POWER. GO AWAY.” Max runs away screaming like a girl without the pants “Ihhhhhh, no more Evil, no more, I’ll be a good boy, no more eviiiiil! Too scary. Eeeeeeeek!” The Dark Sky continues her narration “Since Sky threw me away during the hurdle race, I planned my revenge, being able to think like a living being after centuries of souls accumulated: her elimination was the beginning of it. The Kick of Shame brought her exactly where I wanted, again next to me: I knew that with her leg broken and the frustration of her defeat she would have not doubt to use me again. But this time I used HER. The roles were subverted perfectly, erased by her same lust of victory, she became my sockpuppet. That same night we crawled in the cabins and transferred part of my powers to a random book owned by Cody, creating a second Dark Magic Book to distract all of you. Focusing on Cody, you let me to return undercover as the Redeemed Sky, and I orchestrated all the events happened in Halcyon Warfare Days, providing for you the illusion to have been destroyed forever, and in Insanity Island-Issue 1 giving you a Pyrrus Victory against a mystified Main Villain that you all believed to be my original owner and the plotter of everything.” Chris, Dawn, Dave, and Noah listens to speechless. Eventually Dave speaks “So..that MePhone4 wasn’t real? Just a fruit of the fantasy??” “Exactly. A dream like the ones I shaped for you finalists today: a kind romance with Noah for Dawn, an happy end over any prediction victorious for you, Dave. Yours was the most entertaining, because it’s the opposite of the real life. First, Sky, the unloyable painstaking crush of your life, returns from the depth of your widest hopes just to save you, make amends for her past actions, and even help you to arrive at the goal, sealing the love with a kiss. Quite the opposite situation that you lived that day in Pahkitew and that still haunts your worst nightmares, no?” Dave begs to the ground, unable to hold the tears. Merciless, the D.M.B. keeps speaking through the voice of Sky “'Second', you start winning challenges over challenges, until to reach this far, a final 2. This is when you finally begins to feel a winner after all the sour disappointments and discourage swallowed down in your pathetic life, a strange determination spreads inside you, and supported by your dream girlfriend and an unexpected luck you’re able to achieve the win.” “Urgh..I should, I should have known this.” “'Third' and last but not for importance, after years of solitude and a whole existence lived being at the bottom of the social pyramids, you suddenly gain respect and affect, being surrounded by lot of teens ready to offer you true friendship and support…your biggest dream ever was always to be accepted by the others, afterall, despite being the loser you are.” Dave does the same sad puppy face assumed when he discovered about Keith the first time, Dawn at this point stops the speech, shouting angrily “Liar! This dream was realized without your contribution because I genuinely befriended with him. I understood immediately the pain he felt being outspoken and outcast , because I lived the same situation until I found the comprehension I sought for in the harmony of the nature. He was tormented by the scar of a karma that hit him unfairly, in your place, Sky, all he needed was an act of kindness, but FOR THE SECOND TIME YOU IGNORED HIM FOR YOUR EGOISTIC LUST OF SUCCESS. You’re the only loser I see.” Dave stops a minute to cry perking at these words. “'NO, I’M NOT!'” Sky’s supernatural voice echoes in the thunderstorm like a typhoon, she then opens the book and prepares a dark magic spell, emanating a black aura “'I’m showing you WHO’s the only winner, I achieved the top of everything I faced, olympiads or reality shows, using the formula: all for the victory.'” “That’s what made you the loneliest on this Earth!” Dawn aggresses Sky recurring to her white aura, but succumbs to the excess of dark power “Nice try, Moonchild, but you failed miserably to stop me. AGAIN.” “What if then we do a try?” Noah (that actually used the Escape Rope to get out the maze) asks suddenly, behind him there are Jo, Izzy, Hydreigon and the Zweilous Twins, the skunks and the rest of the animals of the Enchanted Forest, forming an unique block that assaults the villain olympian. During the pitched fight that follows Noah lurks behind her shoulders, takes the book, and before being discovered and neutralized tosses it in the sky. It lands next to Dave, along with the Gold Key. “Argh!” an almost exhausted, multiply wounded and scorched Sky rids off her minor opponents in hurry to run towards him, but the karma in the persona of Dawn strikes back and the old pain of the injures forces her to kneel on the grass, after the trip she received from her. The Olympian stares at Dave. Dave barely stands up, and grab the key: in front of him there are the million dollar case and the Dark Magic Book. He has the key of the victory in the hands. “'Do it'. Insert the key in the suitcase and the victory will be yours!” Sky shouts to the doubtful guy “Uhm…I don’t know what to do…agh, so terribly undecided!” his eyes shift from the book to the case to Dawn who’s giving him a sad look to Sky who’s giving him a smile “Reflect, Dave, with the money and my power you will be unstoppable in this world, a winner, and also Sky will be always under your control and your will as you desire in your hidden dreams. I’m the key of your keenness and the axis of your success! DO THE RIGHT THING.” “Alright…” Dave takes the book and the suitcase, attaches the golden lock to this, and raise the gold key to the sky. Dawn sighs and watches impotent, Dark Sky cheers “Yes! Yes! YES!” but then Dave stabs the Dark Magic Book using the key as a knife “Gh, no, what are you doing?!!Hrkgh..” “I’m doing the right thing.” Dave hits again the manufact in the middle of the cover, making it to bleed out black ink “You’re wrong, I have already all the keenness I need, otherwise I wouldn’t be here nowadays. It took me a while to understand, but effectively I have some interior strength if I got over so many misadventures, I mean the discover of Sky’s other crush, the mad-break I suffered soon after, the turn over into a girl, an animated cellphone or whatever it was, and continuing until today. I don’t need you to achieve my dreams, maybe I’ll take the whole life to realize them, but I have the patience and keenness to wait, even if they could never be realized, actually!” and again and again “Give me back Sky, I prefer the way she was before you!” and AGAIN. “This is the first time that happens, an human that doesn’t fall to the temptation of power I can offer..” Noah raises an hand “A-hem. Second time.” Sky trembles, meanwhile the darkness starts to fade “..nooo..this can’t happen for real..none resists to the Dark Magic Book!” again Noah raises up the hand, coughing. “DAVE..STOP, YOU DON’T KNOW OF WHAT ARE YOU RENOUNCING TO!” “I know perfectly, and this is the only thing I wish for now. Bye! Bye!” Dave rips finally the book in two halves that become ash. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!” A bright light covers the whole screen for a second, when it ends, the sky is clear with no more cloudspots, Sky has fainted, Jo, Izzy, Noah and Hydreigon “high-five” each others for the happiness, Dave and Dawn looks into each others. “I’m sorry for my behavior, I mean, I acted like a total jerk blind by the lust of victory. I understand if now you don’t want to be my friend anymore, I deserve it.” “Dave, I never stopped to consider you a dear friend, because a true friend is someone that doesn’t abandon you, in any circumstance.” “So, ehm, still friends?” “No.” Dawn glares creating a deep silence “Best friends.” The two hugs each other, meanwhile the rainbow appears on the horizon behind them all. THE END. “Nonononononoo, stoooop!” Chris breaks into the scene, grabbing the golden suitcase “What is this? The festival of the cuddles or the set of My Little Pony F.I.M or what? This is Total Drama! There’s always a winner and a loser, and the loser is the runner up full of anger and frustration that returns in the following season to compete again with the hope to win, and then this hope usually vanishes as he/she’s eliminated before the final 4, and then the audience says OHH,DRAMA!! And, and, and, aaaargh! You ruined an EPIC FINAL.” “Oh, Chris, what about that huge change you said to have at the beginning of the episode?” asks Noah with a very sarcastic tone. “You don’t seem so grateful.” “Screw up, Noah! I was kidding before. I Want Something Entertaining To Happen Now. Got it?” Hydreigon opens his mouth and eats the host in a single bite. “Hey, I didn’t mean to me, to you! Put me out.” Jo pats pats the hydra “Well done. Yet you should have not eaten up the million dollar case, too, grunt.” “Ah, who cares for the money? I’m glad to have survived without being turned bald and crazy this time, and more important, to have found lot of sincere friends.” Eventually Hydreigon spits out the gold suitcase that falls in his hands “Wow, this is some genuine luck, finally things are changing for real. But..ergh..I don’t want to touch a thing that comes from the intestine of a dragon, it’s just YUCK. Do you want to open it?” Everyone laughs and Dawn opens the suitcase (becoming the official winner) sharing the money with Dave and shouts “I promise to share my victory with everyone here, and the cash I’ll keep personally, I’ll use it to make the Enchanted Forest a protected environment!” everyone cheers and claps, until a military helicopter claims their attention, there are Jasmine, Mike, Paintbrush and all the others with Brick guiding it. “Jump in, my little kangaroos, you need to do a real celebration in a proper place!” “Yuhuuu!” Dawn and Noah at contemporary with the other couples of the season celebrate the end of the show with kisses, only Dave doesn’t join to the romantic scene and reads a book, but suddenly asks loudly: "Did we forget anything? Mah, probably this is just my impression..." ''Epilogue'' Sky is seen roaming alone in the Enchanted Forest in rugged clothes and at the edge of the miserability, limping to find some food “Sigh. Think I deserved to be in this situation by a long time, in payback of all the sufferance I gave to him...and the others. Now I know how did he feel.” Suddenly she hears a rumble and rushes to the direction of the sound. Here’s Dave with a big smile. “I was kidding. I have not forgotten you, Sky, and we can be good friends instead of lovers.” “Oh, *Dave*, thank you…sniff..BUUURP! Ops, the usual problem.” Sky blushes and dries the tears, then hops on the helicopter and hugs him strictly. And they take off the land together. “Noo, wait also for me, the EV, I mean, the GOOD boy EVIL NO MORE!” Max runs behind the helicopter desperately and comically. …meanwhile, Chris… “Hello? Can someone put me out this dragon? I swear I’ll change forever from the next reality show! :I won’t be anymore the selfish, cruel, sadic, emotionless, gory, convoluted, egoistic, egocentric and ungrateful host you unfortunately knew in the past. I’ll be only selfish, cruel, sadic, emotionless, gory, convoluted, egoistic and egocentric! No more ungrateful, forever. This time I’m not kidding, please!” ''Trivia'' *There are lot of references to previous episodes written by us: **The recurring role of the skunks and the ark found by Dave refer to Dawn of Noah's Ark. **The Encrusted Castle comes from Dragon Bold. **The Zweilous are the grown up Deino seen in the last two episodes written by Happy. **The halcyon that brings the red key to Dawn is the same she healed in Halcyon Warfare Days. **The rainbow at the end is a clear reference to DA Rainbow Dash Dekathlon. *This is the longest episode of the series. Ironically his length is about 20 pages. *This is also the episode with the most cameos: Noah, Jo, Izzy, Sky, Max, Jasmine, Ella, Brick, Mike, Zoey, Hydreigon, Zweilous, the skunks, the halcyon, Paintbrush and the Dark Magic Book. *This episode sealed the role of Main Villain of the Dark Magic Book once for all. *Dawn and Dave played the typical dual role seen in a final 2, the good at all finalist and the less good one. *The epic scene of Dave fighting the "Shugarlots" is a parody of what Shawn did in Pahkitew Island with the Chrisbots. *The final scene of Dave stabbing the Dark Magic Book is a parody of the scene of Harry Potter stabbing the diary of Voldemort in "Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets". *There was a comic scene in the final of Izzy and Jo that got cut eventually. There was also a last Confessional of Noah that got cut, too. *The official winner was chosen by flipping a 1 Euro coin: in an alternative final Dave would have opened the suitcase despite it was covered in gross liquids. Category:Episodes Category:Episodes list Category:King Flurry Category:Season 1 Category:Season 1 Merge